Notebookcheck's Top 10 Ultrabooks

February 2015 update. Here you will find the best Ultrabooks reviewed by Notebookcheck in the past few months. Our list of top models is regularly updated, maintained and commented on and should assist in purchase decisions.

At the beginning of 2011 a new class of notebooks, the Ultrabooks, were initiated by Intel. Notebook manufacturers could use the protected designation "Ultrabook" if they met certain requirements, for example the CPU (Intel Haswell ULV), battery runtime (6 hours FHD playback) and dimensions (<21 mm; ~0.86 in). Therefore, this notebook class mainly consists of very mobile devices with slim cases and yet sufficient performance (Core i processors) for almost every display size. The latest versions also integrate a touchscreen.

Some of our review samples did not have a touch panel, in which case there are also configurations with an optional touchscreen. The corresponding devices are marked since there could be different ratings with optional touchscreens.

The following table shows an overview of the Top 10 Ultrabooks reviewed by Notebookcheck in the previous 10 months. If the ratings are equal, the latest review is listed first. The table can be sorted by clicking on its headers, and filtered by entering text in the text field above it (e.g. "matte").

Editors' Comments

Alpha leader: Dell XPS 13-9343 (2015)

1st

Dell's XPS 13 is still one of the best 13-inch devices on the market. The XPS 13-9343 is the latest redesign of the already impressive 2012 model. The chassis is now slightly lighter, and yet sophisticated and sturdy. The keyboard and touchpad inputs are still first-class, provide excellent feedback, and should satisfy professional users. The MacBook Air, which is traditionally a major rival, is easily beaten by the XPS 13. The latter primarily suffers from the "outdated" display. The Dell is impressive with 4K resolution (3200x1800), accurate colors, high brightness and a contrast that we rarely see: 2063:1. A display cannot be much better.

The author was impressed by the whole package of the XPS 13. The display, great battery runtimes of almost 10 hours (WLAN test), good build quality, fast system performance, even some maintainability and low emissions. Except for the somewhat limited port variety, there is actually nothing to criticize. However, Dell charges a premium price for its premium flagship: Almost 1400 Euros (~$1594).

2nd

HP offers a suitable piece of hardware for the mobile business customer: The EliteBook 840 G1. There are several configurations, so you can adjust the EliteBook perfectly to your individual needs. The high-quality and sturdy chassis, very good input devices and comprehensive communications and connectivity options are pretty much standard in this product class. Depending on the usage scenario, the Intel CPU can be complemented by a dedicated GPU, and there is obviously almost every possible storage solution available. Our review focuses on the non-touchscreen version with a matte panel. The alternative touch display has a lower resolution (1366x768), but according to HP, it also has a matte surface.

3rd

Do things in a big way. With the NX500JK-DR018H, Asus offers a new Zenbook model. This time it is a 15.6-incher. At a price of 2200 Euros (~$2505), the demands on this notebook are particularly high, and it cannot meet them all. The 4k panel is top in the pro list with very good colors, high brightness and high contrast. The aluminum chassis is one of the best besides the MacBook Pro's. The keyboard quality is also high and suitable for prolific writers. The battery life of six hours in the WLAN test is very good for the performance class. But the performance of GeForce GTX 850M and Core i7-4712HQ is lacking. The CPU does not use its Turbo potential (standard volt quad-core) that much. The small performance loss can also be seen in the benchmarks. The gaming performance of the GTX 850M is not affected, but it is a mid-range GPU. In contrast, the ergonomics is good with cool surfaces and a steady, mainly quiet dual fan. The good maintainability features stand out. All components, including the battery can be reached via the bottom plate.

4th

The Portégé Z30t, from the highly mobile business Portégé series of Toshiba, is an Ultrabook with a very interesting display. It has a 13.3-inch display with a high resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and a very convenient matte surface with touch support. Thanks to the IPS technology, it offers wide viewing angles even in extreme situations and a good color presentation. With a weight of just 1.4 kilograms (~3.1 lb) and a battery runtime of around 8 hours in practical use, the Z30t meets the requirements of a mobile device. There are several alternative configurations and you can also choose a non-touch version.

5th

A handy business device can also come from Asus. The 12.5-inchASUSPRO Advanced BU201LA-DT036G is indeed surprising. The small business device costs just under 800 Euros (~$911), but brings (almost) all features of a professional device: TrackPoint, fingerprint reader, DisplayPort, matte FHD display, SmartCard slot, backlit keys, and TPM chip. In addition, the brightness is very good, the viewing angles are wide (IPS), the key feedback is strong, and the chassis is a pleasure. The short battery life of only 3:38 hours (WLAN test) is a disadvantage. Asus has achieved more than a decent result, and the price is much better than the more expensive competitors like the Lenovo ThinkPad X240 and the HP EliteBook 820 G1. Therefore, it won our Best Value Award for December 2014.

6th

As one of the first notebooks ever, the so to speak grandfather of the current ThinkPad X240, the X220, has an integrated matte IPS display. The combination of good brightness, rich colors, generous viewing angles and ergonomic display surface often resulted in a big advantage when you compared devices. Two generations later, the grandchild still competes with the rivals. The package: 12.5-inch display, matte Full HD IPS panel, slim chassis, high quality input devices. This does not only sound like a good device for frequent travelers with high requirements in terms of security, service and support, the ThinkPad X240 was impressive in many sections of our review as well. There are also optional touch displays and you can choose between HD and Full HD resolutions with a matte surface.

7th

The ultra-mobile version of the EliteBook 840 is the EliteBook Folio 1040 G1. The device exceeds the mobility of its sibling but the price is more expensive as well. However, HP offers quite a lot: For example the high-quality 14-inch IPS display with a matte surface and Full HD resolution. The aluminum case is on just as high a level as the input devices. Low emissions combined with compact dimensions and a weight of just 1.5 kilograms (~3.3 lb) are good features for the mobile user.

8th

The time for bulky and inconvenient business notebooks finally seems to be over. This is the only explanation for the fact that a standard 14-inch business notebook from Lenovo, the ThinkPad T440, meets the Ultrabook requirements. And it does it quite well, so the notebook can take a spot in our Top 10. As with the slimmer sibling, T440s, the ThinkPad T440 is available in many different configurations, including one with an HD+ (1600x900) touch display with a matte surface.

9th

Dell's XPS 13-9333 tries to manage the balancing act between business and consumer; at least Dell sees its aluminum and carbon 13-incher in the backpack of wealthy students and on the desks of traveling business customers. The integrated Full HD touch panel uses a glossy surface, which is typical for consumer devices. But according to Dell, this is not a problem for business customers, either. Regardless of the surface, our measurements revealed a very bright display (up to 460 cd/m²), which can also impress in terms of color presentation and contrast. The slim case, an overall weight of 1.4 kilograms (~3.1 lb) and battery runtimes of around 8 hours complete the attractive package.

10th

Despite the large number of Windows tablets and convertibles, business Subnotebooks still seem to be very popular, at least in the management levels, since Dell's carbon dwarf Latitude 12 E7250 is anything but cheap at almost 1500 Euros (~$1708). On the other hand, you get a port variety that beats every Ultrabook: Mini-DisplayPort, USB, LAN and HDMI at the back, SmartCard reader (with NFC) and obviously a real docking port at the bottom. The excellent maintainability as well as the comfortable input devices complete the package.

The Full HD touch display does have a glossy surface, but it covers an IPS panel with accurate colors and a high brightness. The new Core i5-5300U (Broadwell) combined with the Samsung SSD is very fast and also very frugal while idling. However, there is not a big performance advantage over the Haswell predecessor. The runtime of over seven hours is more than fine. Traditional laptop users get a good device and can also benefit from the advantages of a touch panel. The result is the Editor's Choice Award in February 2015.